The ships are currently each powered by four MAN 58/64 engines that will be retrofitted to dual-fuel units. The contract with MAN PrimeServ covers the design, development and testing of a first-of-its-kind dual-fuel kit, which will serve as foundation for the largest LNG conversion in North America.

"To meet TOTE's requirements, we have developed a solution based on our well-proven 51/60DF retrofit," said Dr. Thomas Spindler, Head of Upgrades & Retrofits at MAN PrimeServ Augsburg. "Accordingly, the engineering approach to the 58/64 retrofit is very familiar to us, and this project represents a straightforward conversion procedure."

Dr. Spindler added: "The investment will be of huge benefit to the customer on several fronts: not only will the retrofitted engines meet all new emission standards; the new components they receive during conversion will significantly extend their working life."

"We have been investigating and testing many options for shifting the fleet to LNG. The conversion of the existing engines is the most reliable and beneficial solution" said Peter Keller, Executive Vice President of TOTE. "This innovative solution that has been developed in partnership with MAN, will be an important milestone for the industry as we all prepare for the IMO sulfur cap in 2020."

A key influence in TOTE's decision to retrofit the vessels to LNG is to significantly reduce the most harmful emissions that result from burning diesel.

"TOTE Maritime Alaska is excited to convert its fleet to LNG power which will result in a significant reduction in air emissions including particulate matter, sulfur oxide (SOx) and nitrogen oxide (NOx). This significant investment of time and money is a reflection of our commitment to the environment, our customers and the state of Alaska," said Michael Noone, President of TOTE Maritime Alaska.